This invention relates in general to apparatus for sewing or quilting materials together and in particular to an apparatus for locating a seam in a material.
In the past, hobby quilters and those engaged in hand making quilts have had a difficult time placing stitches along a seam and locating the seam along the edge of a material. Often, hand stitching or quilting a seam along a material was accomplished by sight. This prior method provided opportunity for nonuniform stitches and for seams that were not straight. Also, on a piece of material that required a curved seam the hand stitcher often had trouble developing the curve of the seam by hand. The evenness of the stitches depends on the location of each stitch with respect to adjacent stitches. Accordingly, the beauty of a quilted piece can be affected by the competency, experience, and efficiency of the stitcher. If an error is made by the stitcher in judging the proper location of the start or completion of the stitch, the stitch must be removed and restarted. Also, if the stitch has been completed, the thread must be removed and entirely restarted, or the piece discarded. In either event, damage to the material may occur with the attendant possibility of marring the appearance of the cloth or piece. Further, the seam formed by the stitches must be straight. A commonly used measurement for spacing the seam from the edge of the material is one quarter of an inch. When judging the seam location by sight, the seam is often misplaced and will not be uniformly placed from the edge of the material. This also affects the overall appearance of the quilted piece. Thus, the operation of stitching can be a time consuming and frustrating matter, particularly for the beginning or inexperienced quilter.
A number of patents in the past have attempted to solve in particular applications the problems of stitch or seam location. The patent to Bowman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,771, shows a method and apparatus for premarking shoe vamps preparatory to hand stitching. The Bowman apparatus, while able to premark a shoe vamp, would not work in a quilting application as the Bowman apparatus is a heavy, relatively difficult to manufacture apparatus, and is intended for application to scoring shoe leather. The patent to Guth, U.S. Pat. No. 1,751,001, shows a cloth marking device for the purpose of replacing the marking chalk used by tailors in tailoring suits and clothes. The Guth device is intended to apply a line on material for the purpose of making an alteration and not for providing a means by which stitches or a seam can be accurately located and premarked on a material.
Thus, there is a need in the field for an apparatus that is hand held, economical to manufacture and able to provide a means by which individual stitches can be premarked on a quilt in an even and uniform manner, other than by sight. Further, there is a need in the field for a stitching aid which will assist the quilter in forming a straight and uniform seam along an edge.